Stay With Me
by GavrocheDiedForYourSins
Summary: I was thinking, the other day, that I should write about what Cato said to Clove as she died. Now I have. Enjoy! CatoxClove one-shot.


"What's the matter, Clove?" asked Cato, putting his arm around her shoulders, "I can't remember the last time you've looked so angry."

Clove huffed, crossed her arms and refused to make eye-contact. "Oh, so you've noticed me, have you? I thought you would be too busy thinking about _Glimmer_!"

"You're not still upset about _that_, are you?" he sighed, "Look, Clove, I love you. You know Glimmer is…was…paranoid. She _hated _sleeping alone!"

"Oh yeah? Where was Marvel on that one?"

"Clove!" he cried, embracing her, "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But Glimmer and Marvel are dead – thanks to that District 12 girl. That's behind us. All I can do now is make sure you get home."

Clove's face softened, and she returned Cato's hug. "No way am I going home without you. I'm sorry for getting mad at you, it's just…the girl from 12. She wants you dead, Cato, and she's the most ruthless killer in this Game. The only thing that can stop her is death!"

"Then we'll have to try and kill her." Cato muttered, "But we'd need to make a show of it for the Capitol…do you want to, or shall I?"

She sighed, wiping away her tears. "Sure. If it keeps you alive, she's dead."

They sat hidden in the upper branches of their tree for a while, consoling each other, sharing out food rations and watching the sun falling ever lower in the sky, until the echoing voice of Claudius Templesmith suddenly filled the arena.

"Tributes! The Gamemakers have decided – out of the goodness of their hearts – to invite you all to a feast!"

Clove gasped. "A feast? But why would they bother with a feast if there's plenty of food in the arena?"

"Now hold on." Claudius chuckled, "Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately."

"We do?" asked Cato, to nobody in particular.

Clove didn't reply; she was lost in thought. Had she not said, only last night, that she was worried about how little armour they had? Had she not muttered to herself how much she wished Cato had something more than a sword to shield himself from the monster from District 12? Did this mean that her prayers had been answered?

"Each of you will find something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance,"

A deathly silence hung in the air, which was soon broken by Cato. "I'll go. The 12 girl will be there getting something for her boyfriend's bad leg, so it'll be too da-"

"_No_!" Clove interrupted, "You're not going alone! That psycho is out for your blood! I'm coming with you."

* * *

At the crack of dawn the next morning, Cato and Clove crouched in the bushes, waiting to see who would be the first to venture out into the open.

As soon as the table of supplies had finished rising up from the ground, the fox-faced girl from 5 darted out of the Cornucopia, grabbed her bag and ran for it. Clove allowed herself a smile of admiration. She was clever.

The next to approach the table was the dreaded 12 girl, her longbow poised and at the ready, who seemed to be well-fed by the sponsors. Of course. Obviously, the Capitol idiots would mistake their blatant pretence for true love.

Cato bristled. He had noticed too. "Goodbye, Clove." he whispered, preparing to launch himself at the Cornucopia, "I love you."

"I love you more!" Clove grimaced, pushing her boyfriend back and running flat out towards the murderer, "And don't you forget it!"

Cato lay in the shrubbery, paralysed with horror, watching his beloved knock the girl to the floor, watching her raise her knife to kill her, hearing her scream his name...watching the towering District 11 boy smash a rock against her skull.

"Clove!" he yelled, rushing over as 11 and 12 scarpered into the foliage, "No!"

He knelt beside her, clutching her hand. "Cato…" she murmured, "Is that you, darling?"

"Yes. I'm here, babe. I'm here for you." he told her, holding back tears, "I'll always be here for you, I promise."

"It was Thresh, wasn't it? The boy from 11? He saved the District 12 demon-girl." She sighed, wincing with pain, "Cato, I..." she looked deep into Cato's silver eyes and began to cry. "I'm scared, Cato! I don't want to die!"

"Then don't!" he begged, "Please stay with me, Clove!"

"I…I'm trying! Cato? I'm not sure I can hold on much longer." Clove choked, struggling to breathe.

Cato lifted her into his arms, running his fingers through her hair, which was matted by blood. "Please, Clove. Just for a few more minutes. For me?"

Clove nodded, burying her face into Cato's chest. "There's no point, though," she sobbed, "We won't get anything from the sponsors. They're all busy throwing their money at the girl from 12."

"Don't say that! There has to be _someone_. We're the Careers, Clove; who would back District 12 over District 2?"

"I'm sorry, Cato. I should have killed her. Then all you'd have to worry about would be her partially-disabled boyfriend and the boy from 11." she let out a slight wail. "My murderer." she shrieked, thrashing her limbs in agony. "Cato! I can't do it! I'm going..." she gasped, staring at something in the distance that Cato couldn't see. "Cato...I can see them. Marvel and Glimmer...this is it, Cato. Goodbye." she kissed him.

"No, Clove!" he yelled, tears flowing freely down his cheeks now, "Please, no! I love you!"

"I love you more..." she whispered, eyelids fluttering, "And don't you forget it."

Her body went limp in his arms. "Clove?" he cried, desperately searching her face for signs of life, "No!Sweetheart, please answer me! Are you still with me, Clove?" a distant cannon answered his question. "Clove!" Cato screamed at the sky, "Don't leave me! I love you!"

It was too late for pleading, though. Clove was gone. After a while of holding her corpse and sobbing, he carefully laid her at the mouth of the Cornucopia, brushing some loose strands of hair over the dent in her head to cover it. With the wound hidden, she looked as though she was asleep - something she hadn't done properly in days.

He gently kissed her on the forehead, before setting out into the tall grass. Within the next few hours, he thought to himself, he would either avenge Clove or die trying.

Taking one final glance at his love, he hoped it would be the latter.


End file.
